GOP's Catherine Templeton gets boost from 'Irish Travelers,' but she's giving it back

Republican Catherine Templeton got a campaign contribution from a group that has been in the news, most recently, for some of its members pleading guilty to federal conspiracy and financial fraud charges.

In campaign finance reports filed Tuesday, Templeton's campaign reported receiving $1,500 from the "Irish Travelers of North Augusta."

About 50 defendants, identified as Irish Travelers, have entered guilty pleas in a federal conspiracy and financial fraud case since 2016. North Augusta is home to one of the largest communities of the group, said to have descended from immigrants who came to the area in the 1850s. Over the years, some Travelers have been the target of criminal investigations into scams.

The address provided for the campaign contribution to Templeton is the same as a federal credit union located about three miles from Murphy Village, where many Travelers live.

Asked Wednesday about the contribution, Templeton spokesperson, Mark Powell, said the campaign is sending the money back.

“Like many candidates before, including (former S.C.) Gov. Carroll Campbell, (late U.S.) Sen. Strom Thurmond and Congressman Jeff Duncan, Catherine listened to the Irish Travelers about important issues facing South Carolinians," Powell said.

"Our campaign, upon filing our most recent fundraising report, learned that a donation from them contained reporting errors, including a proper address and contributor's name. In keeping with Catherine’s commitment to restoring trust in government, we will be returning that contribution in the spirit of transparency and openness.”

This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 4:44 PM with the headline "GOP's Catherine Templeton gets boost from 'Irish Travelers,' but she's giving it back."